


Going, Going, Gone

by amidststars



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ereriminibang2k19, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of Jeankasa, Mentions of Yumihisu, Mild Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-01
Updated: 2019-07-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:02:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21757981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amidststars/pseuds/amidststars
Summary: With the apartment above his mother’s coffee shop up for rent, Eren expects a couple hipsters from the local art university or a single mom in desperate need of a caffeine fix. What he gets instead is Levi Ackerman.“Let me get this straight,” Armin said. “The first thing you do is call this guy an asshole, but you somehow think you still have a chance?”There are no second chances at a good first impression, but damn if Eren’s not going to try.
Relationships: Levi/Eren Yeager
Comments: 27
Kudos: 270





	Going, Going, Gone

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted July 1, 2019.
> 
> Written for the 2019 Ereri Mini Bang.
> 
> I was lucky enough to be partnered with [askmermanlevi](https://askmermanlevi.tumblr.com/) for this event. You can see the wonderful piece she created [here](https://askmermanlevi.tumblr.com/post/185975860767/ayyy-everyone-heres-my-entry-for-the-ereri)! And please check out all of her other art while you're at it. She's incredible <333

Eren heard the motorcycle long before he saw it.

It growled through the otherwise peaceful streets, and he cast a frown in its general direction as he delivered drinks to Historia and Ymir seated at one of the tables outside. Tucked beneath the wisteria-covered pergola, it would’ve made for a romantic morning. Too bad the motorcycle was ruining the mood.

“One chai latte and one coffee black,” he said, setting down the two cups.

Historia graced him with a small smile. “Thanks, Eren.”

Ymir, on the other hand, lunged forward onto the table. Folding her hands around the cup of coffee, she brought it to her mouth and inhaled deeply. “Ah,” she sighed. “Hello darkness, my old friend.”

“Three years,” Historia said, nose wrinkling in distaste. “Three years we’ve been together, and I still don’t understand how you can drink that without any cream or sugar.”

“What’s there to understand? It’s dark and bitter, just like my heart.”

Eren wandered off to retrieve the empty cups at another table. Pocketing the tip, he glanced through the shop’s open front door. Jean was hurrying back and forth behind the counter looking more than a little frazzled as he handled the morning rush by himself. When their eyes met over the top of the espresso machine, he waved a hand at the long line of people, nearly knocking over an unclaimed drink still sitting on the counter in the process.

“How about a little help here, Jaeger?”

“What’s that?” Eren asked, cupping his ear. He could hear just fine, but the motorcycle was growing louder by the second, giving him the perfect excuse. “Sorry, I can’t hear you.”

Eren turned away without an ounce of regret. Jean deserved it after slipping ice cubes into the pockets of his apron the other day. Best part was that he had to grin and bear it if he wanted to avoid making a scene in front of the customers. Eren smirked as he wiped down the table. Payback was a bitch.

The motorcycle finally crested the hill. Without pausing in his work, Eren’s eyes flicked to where it idled at the four-way stop, letting two women pushing strollers cross the street first. The women waved their thanks, and the rider lifted two fingers in response before taking off. Eren was about to do the same… until the motorcycle hopped the curb, bypassed the cones blocking off the drive, and pulled into the parking spot to the right of the shop.

Eren glanced around in surprise. Was this guy serious? There were at least four open spots along the street, but he’d deliberately chosen the only one that was off limits. Even if the traffic cones hadn’t been enough of a sign, there was a literal sign in front of the motorcycle that read _Reserved for Tenant_. It seemed pretty damn obvious.

“Uh sorry, man, that spot’s reserved,” Eren called over the rumbling. The rider proceeded to turn off the engine and push out the kickstand. Wondering if maybe he hadn’t heard, Eren tried again. “I’m sorry, but you can’t park there. That spot is for the tenant only.”

The shiny black helmet briefly turned his way, and Eren saw his own face reflected in the visor. Which meant he also saw the polite smile he’d pasted on disappear in an instant when the guy looked back down and began pointedly taking off his gloves.

Okay, then.

“Did you hear me?” Eren asked, tossing the rag onto the table and making his way towards the motorcycle. “I said you can’t park there. There’s plenty of open spots. You’re going to have to move it somewhere else.”

The rider swung one leg over the bike, tucked the gloves into his back pocket, and shrugged out of his leather jacket. Clearly, he had no intention of going anywhere. Eren’s hands fisted at his side, and he ignored the other customers’ curious stares as he stomped over. It was too early for this.

“Hey _asshole_ , you—”

The guy took off his helmet, and all the air rushed from Eren’s lungs. Holy shit. Blue-grey eyes, dark hair styled into a neat undercut, refined features… he was shorter than average, but there was no lack of lean muscle packed onto his frame if the definition when he crossed his arms was anything to go by. Their eyes finally met, and Eren felt pinned in place as the guy offered a wry smile.

“Thanks for the suggestion,” the guy said, leaning over to hook his helmet on the back of the motorcycle. “But considering I am the tenant, I think I’ll stay here.”

Eren’s thoughts ground to a sickening halt.

He was…?

Well, fuck.

* * *

“Let me get this straight,” Armin said. “The first thing you do is call this guy an asshole, but you somehow think you still have a chance?”

Eren tipped his chair onto its back legs and balanced there, foot propped against the bench seat on the opposite side of the table. “You had to have been there. The chemistry was off the charts.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I mean, it definitely wasn’t one of my finer moments, but I like to think I handled it fairly well.”

“I’m sure,” Mikasa said as she leaned forward to snag the last cinnamon roll off the plate the three of them had been sharing. “So what happened next?”

Running a finger along the rim of his mug, Eren watched Mikasa systematically unwind the cinnamon roll. “Well, he asked for the keys since Mom apparently told him he could get them from me that day. Then he called me an asshole back, but… no, actually, I think he did mean it. But only at first. By the time he left, he wasn’t glaring at me anymore.”

Technically, he’d only glared for a short while, mostly when Eren stammered out an apology, but that had been enough. He wasn’t ready to be on the receiving end of that look again anytime soon.

“Ah, yes. Classic infatuation.” Armin nodded sagely. “You two clearly hit it off.”

Eren flicked a crumpled up napkin at him. “Shut up, it wasn’t that bad.”

To call it _good_ was a bit of a stretch, though. If only his mom had given him a heads-up. The apartment had only been listed a couple weeks. He wasn’t even aware anyone had called on it, much less that she already found a tenant. Knowing that would’ve made all the difference. Still…

“Anyway, look at my parents,” Eren continued. “How many people would agree to go on a date with the guy who threw up on them on a roller coaster? Grandpa, too. He met my grandma by getting into a fight with her boyfriend at the time. Even Aunt Faye met my uncle when she rear-ended him at a stoplight.”

Armin arched a brow. “Your point?”

“My point is to not be so pessimistic. I come from a long line of bad first impressions, but they all paid off in the end. This one will too. You’ll see.”

“I suppose we will,” Mikasa said, pointing her fork out the window at the U-Haul truck that had just backed in.

Eren dropped his foot, letting the chair fall forward as a familiar figure kicked open the passenger door and hopped down. A tall, blonde man met him at the rear of the truck, along with an androgynous brunette wearing glasses. They stood to one side talking while he unlatched and opened the roll up door.

“Speak of the devil,” Eren said with a faint smile.

Having spun almost completely around in his seat to get a better view, Armin cocked his head. “What did you say his name was?”

“Levi.”

“He doesn’t look like a Levi.”

Mikasa was the first to look away, cutting off another bite of cinnamon roll. “What’s a Levi supposed to look like?”

“Not that. That’s…” Armin gestured vaguely and made an appreciative noise. “You know, I’ve always thought we had different taste in men, but I have to admit, I’m genuinely impressed with this one.”

“He does seem surprisingly put together,” Mikasa agreed.

“Look at you, all grown up.” Turning back, Armin delivered a light punch to Eren’s arm. “I thought you’d never get past that bad boy phase. It’s about time you went for someone with some class. The bolo tie is a nice touch.”

Their approval was a relief, even if he didn’t necessarily need it, and Eren huffed a laugh. “See, I knew once you—” He cut off abruptly. Bolo tie? Outside, Levi was carefully maneuvering a flat screen TV onto the sidewalk, neck bare. “Um, Armin?” Eren asked. “Who do you think we’re talking about?”

“The tall one, right? Blonde, buff, legs for miles. Kind of has that sugar daddy vibe going on.”

Eren drug a hand down his face.

So much for that.

“No, he’s… I’m talking about the other guy. The dark-haired one beside him.”

Mikasa paused, fork halfway to her mouth, nose wrinkling as her eyes flicked out the window again. “The midget?”

“Don’t call him that! He’s not that short. It’s the angle. It makes it look worse than it is.” Eren extended an arm to demonstrate the slope between where they sat inside the coffee shop and where Levi stood, which probably wasn’t the best idea because there wasn’t much difference. “Okay, so he’s a little short,” he admitted. “Why does it even matter?”

Armin shrugged. “It doesn’t, so long as you don’t mind getting a crick in your neck every time you look at him.”

“As if you have any room to talk.” A late growth spurt had gained Armin a couple inches, but he was still a good head shorter than Eren. “Besides, there’s plenty of other things we could do. Horizontal things. It doesn’t matter who’s taller if we’re in bed.”

“Gross,” Mikasa said around a mouthful of cinnamon roll, but Armin just grinned.

“That’s pretty big talk for someone who started this whole thing off on the wrong foot.”

Eren regarded Armin through narrowed eyes. “What are you getting at?” He already knew where things were headed, though, could see it coming from a mile away even before that smile took on a mischievous edge.

“ _The chemistry was off the charts_. Isn’t that what you said? Maybe it’s time to put your money where your mouth is.” Armin leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms. “Go talk to him.”

Across the table, Mikasa straightened. “That’s a great idea. I’d like to see this chemistry in action.” Of course she would choose now to show some genuine interest.

Eren jerked his chin towards the two people helping Levi unload a couch. “And if one of them is his boyfriend? Or… girlfriend?” It was hard to tell with the brunette. “Partner?” he amended, deciding to be safe.

“Fight them.” Armin chuckled when both Eren and Mikasa turned to him in surprise. “Why not? It worked for your grandpa.”

“Very funny. You sure have gotten sassy since you started those acting classes. Turning into a regular diva. And you’re no better,” Eren said, pointing at Mikasa. “I knew you were going to pick up Jean’s bad habits the minute you two started dating.”

Nonplussed, Mikasa poked his hand with her fork. “You’re deflecting. Stop wasting time and get on with it already.”

Bon Iver played over the speakers, the only sound in the otherwise empty coffee shop as Eren looked back and forth between Armin and Mikasa. Normally, he wouldn’t mind them calling his bluff. A lifetime of rivalry with Jean was proof of his inability to back down from a challenge. But while he’d had every intention of seeking out Levi for another conversation, he wasn’t prepared for it to happen under watchful eyes. Nothing like a little pressure to up the stakes.

Not that that changed his decision. Obviously, their first meeting had been a train wreck and he would’ve handled it differently given the chance, but he wasn’t just pulling all this out of his ass. There’d been something between them, he was positive. Now he just had to prove it.

“Fine.” Eren slapped his hands down on the table and stood, chair scraping backwards against the hardwood floor. “Fine.”

He didn’t wait around to see their reactions.

The front door of the coffee shop clicked shut behind him, and Eren stood there for a minute gathering his thoughts. What would he say after hello? Comment on the motorcycle, maybe? No, he didn’t know anything about them. Another apology? Fuck, that was even worse. Bringing that up would make an already awkward situation even more so.

Eren raked a hand through his hair. It wasn’t like him to be nervous. At least the other two people with Levi had disappeared upstairs with a couple boxes, so he didn’t have to worry about making a fool of himself in front of strangers as well. It was just the two of them, and a thought struck as he watched Levi maneuver an armchair to the edge of the moving van.

“Hold on,” Eren called out, hurrying forward. “I can help, let me just—”

Looking back, there was no way to tell if it could’ve been prevented or if it would’ve happened regardless. All Eren knew was that Levi looked at him right as his toe caught on a crack in the sidewalk.

He stumbled forward, barely managing to catch himself on a dresser. However, his momentum caused it to skid into the TV that had been unloaded earlier, and Eren could only watch in horror as the TV rocked back and forth and back again before tipping over with a resounding crash, the screen shattering all over the concrete.

* * *

Eren crouched in front of the chalkboard propped on the sidewalk in front of the shop, wet the corner of a rag, and carefully wiped away one of several dicks Connie had drawn around the list of daily specials. Not exactly how he wanted to start his shift, but at least he was working with Sasha the rest of the day. That meant the most he’d have to worry about was her pilfering slices of pie.

“Interesting specials you have going on.”

Rather, that was all he’d _hoped_ to worry about.

Closing his eyes, Eren took a deep breath. He wasn’t really in the mood, what with having to clean up the pathetic excuse for artwork – _“It’s not pathetic,” Connie had insisted out the car window as he pulled away. “Look at the detail! That shit belongs in a Smithsonian.”_ – but there wasn’t much he could do except roll with it. Ah, the joys of working in customer service. When he glanced over his shoulder and saw who the voice belonged to, though, he twisted around so fast he almost lost his balance.

“Levi! Hi!”

Levi didn’t acknowledge the greeting, just stood there with his arms crossed, studying the chalkboard. “That cup is being chased by a giant dick,” he said.

At the bottom of the board was the Life in the Fast Lane Special. Normally, the drink of the day was accompanied by the drawing of a stick figure sprinting after a coffee cup with the words _Running Latte_ scribbled beside them. This time, Connie had replaced the stick figure with a large, lime green dick with legs.

“Uh, yes. Yes, it is.”

“And is that… a dick sandwich?”

“Technically, it’s called the Cock and Bull Burger. It’s kind of a local special. Students from the university like to make bets and see how many… they can…” Eren trailed off and cleared his throat. “This probably isn’t helping.”

“Not really, no,” Levi agreed. He looked to Eren, then back to the chalkboard, then up to block letters stamped across the storefront in quick succession. “I can’t say I ever expected to see this kind of advertising at a coffee shop.”

“Oh, you know how it goes. Have to one-up the competition somehow.”

Levi arched a brow. “And that was the best you could come up with?”

“Got you to stop, didn’t it?” The blank expression Levi shot his way might have put others off, but the simple fact that he was still standing there was encouraging. It was the longest they’d spoken without something going terribly wrong. Braving a faint smile, Eren decided to push it further. “Wait until you see tomorrow’s special. It’s going to be two dicks riding a hamburger bun. Gives a whole new meaning to the double meat burger.”

Levi stared and blinked and stared some more. Then he snorted and shook his head. “You went there,” he finally said. “I can’t believe you actually went there.”

The last of Eren’s hesitation melted away. Laughing, he tossed the rag aside and stood. “It was too good to pass up. I couldn’t resist.” He held out a hand, feeling more confident than he had in weeks. Third time really was the charm. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. I’m Eren Jaeger.”

“Levi Ackerman, but feel free to call me asshole if that’s all you can manage.”

“You’re not going to let me live that down, are you?” Eren nodded. He probably deserved it. “I suppose that’s fair. At any rate, I am sorry about that. And for breaking your TV.”

“It’s fine. You apologized already. Multiple times. And don’t even think about offering to pay for a new one again,” Levi added before Eren could say anything. “I’m tired of turning you down.”

Eren picked up the chalkboard by the handle, and the two pieces fell together, bumping against his leg. Maybe Sasha would be up for cleaning it. He had more important things to focus on right then. “Alright. But at least let me make you a drink on the house.”

“I told you, I don’t like—”

“Coffee. Or generic, mass-produced, prepackaged tea with no flavor. I remember,” Eren said. How could he forget? His first offer for a free drink after the TV incident had been shot down so fast it gave him whiplash. “That’s why I ordered some loose leaf oolong in our last shipment.”

A flicker of interest was quickly buried beneath a skeptical look, there and gone again. “You ordered oolong just for me?”

“Don’t get a big head. You’re not our only customer.”

“I’m not a customer at all.”

“Not _yet_ ,” Eren said and winked.

Levi stared at him for one long minute, then turned to study the storefront again. “What if I don’t like oolong?”

“I’ll keep trying. Lapsang souchong’s next, just so you know. Then Darjeeling. Eventually I’ll find one you like.” Eren held open the door. “Come on, just try it.”

Levi’s eyes flicked back and forth as the seconds ticked soundlessly by. At one point he glanced down the sidewalk, and Eren was sure he was going to come up with some excuse to leave, but then he began making his way towards the shop.

“Okay,” Levi relented, slipping past Eren who was doing his best to play it cool even though his stomach was doing backflips. “I’m meeting a friend, but I have a little time to kill.”

Eren subtly shooed Sasha into the kitchen and began preparing the tea while Levi sat on one of the barstools. It couldn’t even be called sitting, though, perched on the edge as he was. It was cute. All of Levi’s mannerisms were cute. Like the way he took out the garbage every morning or used an old toothbrush to clean the grooves around his motorcycle’s headlights or straightened the chairs at the outside tables anytime he walked by.

“One oolong tea,” Eren said, handing over the to-go cup.

“Thanks.” Levi blew on the tea, wispy tendrils of steam curling around his face, and took a sip. Immediately, he began coughing so hard Eren was worried he’d have to do the Heimlich maneuver or something. When he finally managed to catch his breath, Levi looked from the cup to Eren in astonishment. “This is the worst cup of tea I’ve ever tasted.”

“Seriously?” Eren deflated. So much for making a good impression. “Fuck, I’m sorry. Mikasa’s the tea expert in the family. She tried to show me, but I usually just leave it to her. Here…”

“Don’t beat yourself up. You just need practice.” Levi handed back the cup, nose wrinkling in distaste. “A lot of practice.”

“I’ll get with Mikasa next— shit!”

The lid popped off halfway to the sink, and the cup crumpled in Eren’s hand, spilling tea down the front of his apron. He tossed the cup aside, but by the time he undid the ties on his apron and ripped it off, the liquid had already soaked through, leaving a visible wet patch at his crotch. Perfect. He swore again under his breath and glanced at Levi whose mouth twitched with the hint of a smile. At least someone was amused.

“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“I suspect not.” Levi shook his head. “Eren Jaeger, you really are the definition of a walking disaster.”

 _Only around you_ , Eren thought as he took in the spreading stain. One conversation… just one conversation without him ruining things. Was that too much to ask? At least this incident was at his own expense instead of Levi’s. He could handle that.

“Might as well start tacking that onto my introductions,” Eren joked. “ _Hi, I’m Eren, I have no tact or social skills and am an embarrassment to my entire family_.”

Levi chuckled. “It would be a good warning, if nothing else.”

They settled into an easy silence, but then Levi glanced at his watch, smile waning. “You have to go,” Eren guessed, and Levi nodded.

“Unfortunately. I already had plans, and if I try to get out of them, my friends will likely just show up here anyway. Not quite sure you’re ready to be subjected to that yet.” Levi slid off the barstool and tucked his hands into his pockets. He shifted his weight from one leg to the other for a moment, eyes flicking from the shop’s décor to Eren, before he finally straightened and said, “I guess I’ll be going then.”

Levi turned on his heel, leaving Eren standing stock-still and wide-eyed behind the counter. Some small piece of his mind registered the fact that Levi was leaving, but the majority of his thoughts had gotten stuck on two words: _unfortunately_ and _yet_.

The former meant Levi hadn’t wanted to leave.

The latter insinuated that one day Eren might be introduced to his friends.

Both had caused his stomach to start up with those backflips again.

“Pssst!” Eren jumped at the noise and looked back to see that Sasha had cracked open the kitchen door and was peeking out. “What are you doing?” she whispered, jabbing a finger in Levi’s direction. “Say something, you dolt.”

The door swung shut again, but Eren stayed where he was. He’d completely forgotten about Sasha and was now embarrassed at the thought of her witnessing his less-than-stellar attempt at flirting. It was better than Jean or Connie, but still. Ultimately, it was the front door chime that pulled him from his thoughts and spurred him to action. Levi hadn’t wanted to leave. Levi had wanted to stay. Sasha was right, he needed to say something!

Eren whirled around and lunged at the counter, ignoring the napkin dispenser he inadvertently sent flying. “You can come by,” he all but yelled, and Levi paused halfway through the front door. “Anytime you want.”

“I know,” Levi said slowly. “This is a coffee shop. It’s hard to make money if you only let certain people in.”

“I mean, you can come by and visit me,” Eren corrected. “If you want, that is. No pressure. But I’m almost always around. Even when I’m not working, I’m usually messing with something in the shop. There’s always things to do. And if I am working, that’s okay. I’ll make time. I can always sneak away. Perks of being the owner’s son.”

Why was he still talking? Fucking hell, it was like word vomit.

Levi cleared his throat, effectively cutting off Eren’s rambling. “Right, I’ll keep that in mind.” Sunlight chose that exact moment to break through the clouds. Beneath the crisscrossing shadows of the pergola, it was hard to tell whether Levi was smiling or not, but his voice was light when he said, “See you around, Eren.”

* * *

The afternoon rush was dwindling. There were still plenty of people seated at the tables throughout the shop, but the end of the line was finally in sight. Just one more customer to go. Eren waved goodbye as Armin hung up his apron and left the shop to go work on his thesis, then greeted the man who stepped up to the counter.

“Good afternoon, what can I—”

“Excuse me,” a woman interrupted, elbowing her way in beside the man and shoving her drink in Eren’s face. “Is this a latte?”

Eren took the cup and read the label. “No, that’s a misto.” He tried to hand it back, but the woman refused to take it, crossing her arms and fixing him with a frown.

“But I ordered a latte.”

“You asked for steamed milk and regular coffee, which is a misto.”

“ _No_ , I asked for a latte with regular coffee,” she snapped. “I can’t have espresso.”

“Ma’am, that’s the same thing as a misto. It’s just a different…” Eren trailed off. He’d been confused when he filled the order, wondering why Armin had charged her the latte price when the misto was quite a bit cheaper. Now he knew. Realizing he wasn’t going to get anywhere, he pasted on the overly bright smile he reserved for difficult customers. “You’re right, I’m sorry for the confusion. Let me remake this for you.”

He trashed the drink and made it again the exact same way. The only difference was what he called it when he passed it across the counter, which must have been enough because the woman took the drink, smiled gratefully, and thanked him before leaving.

“There always has to be at least one,” the man who’d been pushed side said once she was gone, and Eren chuckled. One? If he could be so lucky.

The man placed his order, and Eren went about preparing the latte. He was in the middle of adding the steamed milk when the door chimed. Glancing up, he almost dropped the pitcher at the sight of Levi headed his way. It had been almost two weeks since they’d last talked. Eren had barely even seen him walk by, and the couple times he had, the shop had been too swamped for him to do anything about it. Seeing Levi now… Christ, he’d almost forgotten how good he looked.

“Hi,” Levi said, stopping on the other side of the counter.

Striving for nonchalance, Eren’s eyes flicked up as he reached for the latte art pen. “Hey there. What brings you in?”

“I had a craving for oolong. Any idea where I might be able to find a good cup?”

Eren huffed a laugh. “Might want to try Zhi Tea on the other side of town. Word on the street is the guy who makes it here is pretty terrible.”

“Yes, I might have heard something along those lines. Sounds like he just needs a proper lesson.” Arching a brow, Levi scanned the rest of the shop. Most of the customers had left by that point, and there was still only the one man in line. “I happen to know a thing or two about making tea. Maybe if he’s free, I could show him.”

“I think that could be arranged.” A smile pulled at Eren’s mouth unbidden. There was no one to cover for him if things picked up again, but he didn’t care. He’d close the shop if he had to. Not really because his mom would skin him alive, but it was nice to imagine. “Just give me a second to finish this up.”

Levi nodded, although his brows drew together when he looked down. “And what exactly is…” He gestured to the cup between them. “This?”

“Latte art.”

“No, I know that. I meant what is it supposed to be?”

Eren drew the pen through the cream, carefully shaping out a pair of ears and outlining the face. “A cat.”

“Really? Looks more like a goblin,” Levi said. “Is it supposed to have fangs?”

“What are you—” Eren pulled back to inspect his work. “Those are whiskers.” It seemed pretty obvious even if the lines weren’t quite as smooth as normal because his hand was shaking.

However, Levi merely hummed as he leaned back. “If you say so.”

“Hey, now! I’ll have you know I’m actually really good at this! I just get… nervous when people watch me.”

“Customers watch you do this all the time,” Levi pointed out. “You’re not exactly hidden back there.”

“Yes, but none of my other customers look like you.”

That got Levi’s attention. He blinked, clearly taken aback by the comment, and Eren smirked to himself as he finished the man’s latte and delivered it to his table. It felt good to surprise him without it turning into a complete and utter disaster. When he returned, Eren jerked his chin in an unspoken request for Levi to follow him behind the counter.

“Alright then.” Eren handed over the container of oolong leaves. “Show me how it’s done.”

As it turned out, he wasn’t beyond help. He used too many leaves, got the water too hot, and let it steep too long – a combination that produced a stiff cup of tea that tasted like bitter, burnt grass – but those were mistakes easy enough to fix. “If you can draw animals and fancy leaves in some cream, you can brew a half-decent cup of tea,” Levi had said before they began. And while it took three separate batches, Eren eventually made one Levi deemed good enough to drink.

“This is really good,” Eren said, savoring the subtle flavors.

Levi took a sip of his own. “Of course it is.”

“So humble,” Eren teased, noting how Levi held his cup by the rim instead of the handle. It was different. One more thing to add to the list of Cute Levi Mannerisms. “At least now I don’t always have to depend on Mikasa.”

“Mikasa?”

“My sister. She spent a year abroad and came back a tea expert.” Although, honestly, Levi could give her a run for her money. It really was a great cup of tea. “My mom wanted to keep things strictly coffee, but Mikasa convinced her to expand. Adding food to the menu was my idea.”

“Smart. It seems to have paid off,” Levi said. “I take it your mom opened the shop.”

Eren smiled, a note of pride coloring his tone. “She did, all by herself from the ground up. It kept her busy after my father died. Sometimes she said it kept her going.” Downing the last bit of tea, he turned the empty cup idly on the table. “She worked herself to the bone those first few years, but she gets to relax now. After high school, I started taking on more and more.”

“No college?”

“Not for me, no. I thought about taking some business classes, but I was already managing the day to day operations just fine. Finances, supply orders, scheduling, and all that. Plus, we’d made it through the product expansions. Figured there wasn’t much more a professor could teach me that I hadn’t already learned.”

“Nothing wrong with that. College isn’t for everyone,” Levi said as he draped one arm over the back of the chair. “This is what you want to do for the rest of your life, then? Run a coffee shop?”

Eren cocked his head, considering, and his gaze drifted around the shop. “Yes. No. Maybe? Hell, I don’t know. I have dreams, same as everyone else. There’s a lot of things I’d like to do.”

“But…” Levi prompted, but there was no easy answer.

Inhaling deeply, Eren’s attention settled on one of the potted plants near the window. It was an ugly thing, scraggly with more bare stretches of vine than anything else, and of the few leaves that were on it, half were brown. He’d picked it out himself as a gift to his mom the day she opened the shop. Granted, it had looked a lot better back then. Now it was an eyesore.

His mom wouldn’t let him get rid of it, though. Wouldn’t even accept a replacement, no matter how many times he tried. That was just the way she was. She loved everything so fiercely, which was why she’d always insisted he leave. He lost count of how many times she’d told him to go off and live his life. Do whatever made him happy. And he’d thought about it, run the gamut from following his father’s footsteps and becoming a doctor to backpacking across Europe. In the end, he’d decided to stay.

“Continuing the business your mom started is admirable,” Levi said after a moment. “I’m sure she appreciates the help.”

“She does. But that’s not why I did it.”

“I didn’t think it was.”

Eren’s eyes flicked to Levi, then back to the plant. Those gangly vines, those browning leaves with their curled, dry edges. It might have been hard in the beginning, but that was then. He was happy now. This was home. Traveling the world was all well and good, but that was Armin’s dream. He’d always been happy to have something to come back to. Some things were more important.

The front door chimed, cutting through Eren’s thoughts, and he waved to the group of women who’d just walked in. “Well, duty calls,” he said, more than a little reluctant. He didn’t want to leave things like that, not after Levi had purposely sought him out. “This was nice. Maybe we could… do it again sometime?”

Levi’s mouth twitched. “Are you asking me out on a date, Eren?”

“If you want to call making tea a date,” Eren said with an offhand shrug despite the fact that his heart was going a mile a minute.

“You do need the practice.”

“See, you’d be helping the shop by helping me.” Standing, Eren held out a hand for Levi’s cup. “What do you say?”

Levi regarded him for a moment, then placed the cup purposefully in Eren’s waiting hand without removing his own. It was still warm, but Levi’s fingers were warmer where they brushed against his own. “Maybe,” he said slowly.

There was too much intent in those grey eyes, though. Too much promise. Eren kept his hold on the cup, leaned in close, and flashed a dangerous smirk. “I’ll take that as a yes,” he replied, confident now, before turning on his heel to attend to the customer.

By the time he was done, Levi had left. The quiet departure didn’t bother him. Even if it had, the carefully folded napkin he found tucked into the tip jar at the end of the day would have made everything better. Alone in the shop, Eren sat on the counter and smiled down at the telephone number Levi had scrawled on the napkin.

* * *

“I spy with my little eye…” Turning in a slow circle in the middle of the coffee shop, Sasha tapped one finger against her lips. “Something that begins with C.”

“Coffee!”

“Chair!”

“Cake!”

“Bingo!” Sasha gave Jean a congratulatory high-five, then handed Eren a spray bottle and dust rag. “Sorry, Eren.”

“Oh, come on. Marco said coffee.” Behind the counter, Marco popped up and called out an indignant _hey now!_ , but Eren ignored him in favor of waving the rag in Mikasa’s direction. “Mikasa didn’t even guess.”

“For the record, I would’ve said candy,” Mikasa said, pointing at the overflowing bag poking out the top of Sasha’s backpack.

“It doesn’t matter what you _would_ have said.” Eren turned to Sasha. “You hardly ever drink coffee.”

With a shrug that was more sympathetic than apologetic, she flopped onto the bench seat and began refilling the napkin dispensers. “But it was still closer to cake. We agreed on ranking the answers, so I did.”

“Rules are rules, Jaeger,” Jean added. “Better hop to it. Those lights aren’t going to clean themselves.”

Eren glared at Jean for a few seconds before finally giving in. He drug the small ladder to the first of several hanging fixtures around the shop, kicked it open, and climbed onto one of the upper steps so he could reach, grumbling under his breath all the way. Divvying up the most unwanted chores based on who lost the game had been a collective decision made a couple years ago, but that didn’t mean he had to like it. He’d never claimed to be a gracious loser.

Still, the view from the ladder was nice.

A light shower of dust rained down when he swept the rag over the fixture, and Eren used ducking his head to avoid it as an excuse to peek under his arm to where Levi sat at one of the tables outside with a few of his friends. The same pair that helped him move was there, along with a sandy-haired man and a petite redhead. They’d arrived close to an hour ago, despite the fact that the coffee shop was closed, and had been talking ever since.

Eren finished the first light fixture and moved on to the next. Halfway up the ladder, he snuck another look and was pleased to find Levi’s eyes already on him. The nice day was reason enough for them to be sitting outside, but Eren couldn’t help but wonder if there was more to it. After all, there were plenty of other sitting areas along the street in front of shops that were actually open. Not to mention Levi had conveniently chosen a seat facing Eren. It wasn’t a declaration, by any means, but a guy could hope.

“Who did the minor service last time?” Connie asked as he dragged the espresso machine out of its designated cubby.

Without looking away from the order forms spread out on the table in front of him, Armin raised his hand. “I did.”

“Alright, then, you know what to do.”

Dusting meant he was out of the running for this round of the game, so Eren ignored them in favor of offering Levi a small smile. When that didn’t earn him a response, he winked and had to bite back a snicker at the way Levi’s brows lifted. It didn’t even seem like he was paying attention to the conversation with his friends anymore.

“I spy with my little eye,” Armin said slowly, “something that begins with S.”

“Syrup!”

“Sugar!”

“Spoons!”

“Soy milk!”

“Connie, the whole purpose of the game is to guess things you can see,” Armin cut in. “You can’t see the milk if it’s in the fridge. But you’re all wrong anyway, so keep going.”

Eren stretched up to clean around the decorative plate where the fixture met the ceiling as the answers got progressively worse. As much as he hated dusting, he was happy to sit this one out. Armin’s choices were notoriously tough. Besides, he was having a much better time sneaking glances at Levi.

The last one had earned him a barely-there smirk. Hoping to catch another glimpse of it, Eren turned just enough to look over his shoulder. This time, however, Levi’s focus was decidedly lower than his own. Was there something on his shirt? No, it was further down than that, more towards the small of his back. Or could it really be that Levi was staring at his—

Levi’s eyes snapped up, and a wide grin slid across Eren’s face at the way his expression twisted into something instantly defensive. He was! Levi had absolutely been checking him out. _Busted_ , Eren mouthed and wiggled his ass a bit for good measure. Levi slunk down in his chair, eyes narrowing, shoulders hunched up around his ears, cheeks visibly red even with the distance between them.

With a frustrated growl, Connie slammed a fist onto one of the tables. “That’s it, Armin, we give up.”

“No, don’t do that!” Armin said. “It’s obvious, I promise. It was literally the first thing I noticed when I looked around.”

“A sink?”

“No.”

“Sneakers?”

“No.”

Jean snorted. “How about sexual tension?”

The lingering silence caught Eren’s attention more than the words themselves, but when they finally filtered through, he whirled around, almost losing his balance atop the ladder. Jean was sitting sideways in one of the chairs, arm slung over the back, expression annoyingly smug as he stared Eren down.

“That explains why you guessed a chair of all things,” he continued, unfazed as always by Eren’s irritation. “You’re so distracted you forgot it was Sasha we were talking about.”

Eren rolled his eyes. “Don’t be jealous.”

“Jealous of what? Him? Please,” Jean scoffed. “He’s not that special.”

“Of course he is. You’re just selling him short.”

Jean’s nose wrinkled as he gave Eren a dubious look. “Not sure that’s possible. Look at him… he’s short enough already.”

“That’s because good things come in small packages!” Eren snapped back. If it wouldn’t have been such a pain to retrieve his dusting cloth, he would’ve chunked it at Jean. “Now would everyone shut up about his height?”

Forgoing the game – or maybe sexual tension actually was the worst answer – Armin assigned the minor inspection to Jean. Everyone else resumed their tasks while Eren dusted the light fixture with more force than necessary. He was getting ready to move on to the next one when his phone buzzed with a new text.

_Trouble in paradise?_

Eren glanced from the text to where Levi was watching him through the window, phone in hand. _More like dealing with an insufferable ass_ , he typed back.

Levi’s attention drifted briefly to Jean. _He does resemble a donkey._

 _I usually default to horse, but close enough._ Eren got ready to pocket his phone, then thought twice. It was hard to resist texting Levi. _Shouldn’t you be paying attention to your friends?_

_Shouldn’t you be working?_

_Touché. Problem is, I keep finding better things to look at._

_Same._

Eren hadn’t expected a response to that. A change of topic, if anything. Or a joke. Definitely not something so straightforward. But he wasn’t complaining. He met Levi’s eyes once more before turning back around, cheeks warm and a ridiculous smile on his face.

* * *

“You missed a spot.”

Elbows-deep in a sink full of dishes, Eren looked first at the mug that had been tossed back into the water, then at Levi who had already moved on to drying the next. “That’s the third one. You’re worse than my mom and Mikasa combined. Should I just start washing everything twice?”

“If you can’t do it right the first time, yes,” Levi shot back.

“Yeah, okay, I’ll get right on that.” Eren picked up the mug and turned it over. “There’s nothing even on here. What did I miss?”

“It’s right— no, flip it back— there. Right there.”

Levi leaned in, so close it was hard to concentrate on anything other than his proximity. His hair was still damp where it brushed against Eren’s cheek, smelled fresh and clean from the rainstorm he’d been caught in before taking refuge in the shop. Their arms were touching too, from shoulder to elbow. Eren turned his head slightly, lips coming dangerously close to Levi’s temple. If he just—

Eren forced himself to focus. Now wasn’t the time to get distracted in admiring Levi, not when he was close enough to practically hear the way Eren’s heart pounded. “That’s just a chip in the paint!” he retorted when he found the spot.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

“Huh.” Levi plucked the mug out of Eren’s hand, rinsed it off, and began drying it. “Never mind, then.”

After a long, deadpan look that Levi pointedly ignored, Eren resumed washing dishes. It was already late, and he was ready to call it a night. Not leave, though. Not by a long shot. They’d texted plenty over the past couple months or visited in the coffee shop during downtime, but chances to actually spend time together had been few and far between. Quarterly deadlines at work had kept Levi busier than normal. That was why Eren had been surprised when Levi burst through the door two minutes before closing and made himself at home, even going so far as to help with closing duties.

Obviously, Eren felt the slightest bit guilty. Levi must have had something better to do at ten o’clock on a Friday night. Anything, really. But after weeks of coy looks through the storefront windows, passing greetings as they went to and from work, and Eren trying to figure out whether Levi meant his texts to be mildly insulting or flirtatious… well, he wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

“What’s a red eye?”

Pulled from his thoughts, Eren followed Levi’s gaze to the menu. After so many years of working in the industry, it was easy to forget not everyone knew the lingo. “It’s a basic cup of coffee with a shot of espresso,” he explained. “It’s for when you’re writing a paper at midnight that’s due in eight hours and you’ve been up for the last thirty-six.”

Levi snorted. “Sounds like you know that from experience.”

“Nah, just your basic barista stereotyping. I can pigeonhole almost anyone based on what they order.”

“You seem pretty sure.” Handing over the last plate, Eren offered a confident shrug. “Alright, then. Say I order… a frappe.”

“You claim to love coffee, but you really just love ice cream,” Eren quipped, then laughed at Levi’s incredulous expression. “I told you, I can pin them every time.”

Levi recovered quickly, though, and there was a challenge in his eyes when he turned around from putting the plate away and leaned against the counter. “An Americano?”

“You can’t handle the real stuff and need watery coffee.”

“Something iced?”

“You like straws.”

“Decaf?”

“Ugh, why even bother?”

“Ristretto?”

“You’re in a rush and need caffeine ASAP.”

“A long black?”

“The opposite. You’ve got time to linger.”

The questions stopped abruptly, and Eren glanced over his shoulder. Levi hadn’t moved, but there was a slight furrow between his brows that hadn’t been there before. Not one of annoyance. No, it was more contemplative, as if he was trying to work something out.

Unsure what to make of it, Eren returned to the sink and busied himself with rinsing the last of the mugs. He’d just drained the dishwater and was in the process of stacking everything in the dish drainer when Levi said something. The words were too quiet, though, lost beneath the sound of running water and clanking china. Something about time?

“What was that?” Eren asked, turning off the water and drying his hands.

“I said…”

Levi’s voice was louder now. And closer. Eren draped the damp towel over one of the machines and turned around only to be immediately drawn into a kiss.

The world condensed and narrowed, and Eren stood there, frozen, not quite believing what was happening even as his mind registered all the details. Levi’s hand on his neck, the gentle sweep of his thumb along Eren’s jawline, his other hand splayed at Eren’s waist to hold them steady. And that mouth. Oh god, Levi’s mouth, soft and warm against his own.

Before Eren could do more than take it in, it was over. Levi looked up at him, breath warm in what little space there was between them, and repeated, “I have time to linger.”

Eren blinked once, twice, three times. Some vital part of his brain had short-circuited when their lips met, and now he was trying to play catch up. A monumental task considering the way Levi was staring at him, eyes hooded and dark and full of promise. Bedroom eyes. Thunder rumbled outside, not unlike the jackhammering of his heart, and Eren desperately cast about for the last threads of their conversation.

“A long black is coffee,” he finally said, remembering. His voice was softer than normal, a bit hesitant in the wake of Levi coming onto him. So much for bravado. “You don’t like coffee.”

One side of Levi’s mouth quirked up into a half-smirk. “No, I don’t.”

“You…” Eren swallowed thickly. “You like tea.”

The hand at his waist drifted back to brace against the sink, and Levi shifted closer. “I like you.”

* * *

The door swung open to slam against the wall, and Levi and Eren stumbled into the apartment. It was only a short flight of stairs from the coffee shop, but the rain had left them both drenched. Not that they cared. Neither paid any mind to the water dripping all over the entryway as Levi kicked the door shut and Eren pushed him up against the wall. It wasn't until Eren’s hand skimmed over a sizeable dent in the sheetrock on its way to cupping Levi’s ass that he stopped.

“Shit,” Eren said, breaking free of the kiss and leaning down to inspect the damage. “I didn’t mean to do that.”

“Don’t worry, I’m on pretty good terms with my landlord.” Levi used the position to make quick work of the knots securing Eren’s apron behind his back. “He’ll fix it.”

Eren snorted. “Technically, my mom is your landlord.”

“Then I’m also in good with her son. How convenient, maybe he can work on getting me a discounted rate.”

Levi hauled Eren upright before he could respond, scraping teeth over his collarbone and sucking a bruising spot into the juncture of his neck. A chill crackled along Eren’s nerves, electric as the lightning outside. He tipped his head back and gasped only for Levi to spin them around and swallow down the noise with a greedy, demanding kiss.

Eren grasped at anything and everything. Levi’s hair, arms, shirt, hips… whatever he could until he finally regained enough mental capacity to focus on something other than the delicious way Levi was pressing him into the wall. _Clothes_ , he distantly thought. _Too many clothes_. The wet material made it more difficult, but Eren eventually wrenched Levi’s shirt over his head and let it fall to the floor with a sodden plop.

“Jesus,” Eren murmured, taking a moment to run his hand down Levi’s bare chest, the ridges of muscle along his abdomen, that deep v-cut that disappeared beneath his jeans. “I knew you were fit, but fuck.” It probably would’ve been intimidating if he wasn’t so turned on.

Levi just tugged on the apron still looped around Eren’s neck. “Your turn,” he murmured against Eren’s lips.

The rest of their clothes were left in a haphazard trail through the apartment. Their shoes and socks stayed near the door, Levi helped Eren out of his apron and shirt as they passed through the kitchen, and they both shimmied out of their jeans on the way to the couch.

They toppled over the armrest, Levi landing heavily on top where he proceeded to leave hot, wet, thorough kisses down the length of Eren’s neck. Meanwhile, Eren slid his hands beneath Levi’s boxers and squeezed his ass, rolling the muscles in his hands, feeling the way they flexed every time Levi ground down against him.

“Levi,” Eren breathed, words nearly lost beneath the thunder. He slid his hand around between them to palm Levi through his boxers, curled his fingers to pull lightly on his balls. The low groan that rumbled through Levi’s chest went straight to Eren’s cock. “Please.”

Levi worked his way down Eren’s body, nipping and sucking as he went, leaving a trail of marks in his wake. When he paused to nose Eren’s cock, Eren couldn’t help but bury his fingers in that dark hair. The thin material of his boxers did nothing to lessen the sensation when he pushed his hips up to touch his cock to Levi’s lips. His warm exhales, the dampness as he slid his tongue along Eren’s length to mouth at the tip… it was driving Eren crazy. He was about to make some desperate attempt at reversing their positions when Levi sat back on his heels.

“The bed, then?” Levi asked, and Eren nodded eagerly.

“Yes. _God_ , yes, I—”

Levi leaned forward and caught Eren in a kiss, licked the rest of his words right out from between his lips.

A bit breathless, Eren allowed Levi to pull him to his feet. Their boxers joined the rest of their clothes on the floor, marking one more point in the journey from the front door to the bedroom. No doubt Levi would make them go back and pick them up before the night was over, but right then, there were more important things to worry about. Like finding the condoms and lube in the side table drawer and following Levi onto the bed and admiring the red flush that dusted his cheekbones and feeling that slow, sweet burn as Levi worked him open. Then he was pressing in, and it all went blank.

Eren stared at Levi, the moment sprawling out between them, timeless.

It was like the first time he’d ridden a roller coaster. That endless second suspended at the peak, adrenaline racing, Tom Petty blasting from the earbuds dangling around his neck. _Gonna free fall out into nothin’, gonna leave this world for a little while_.

Or the state championship back in high school. Bottom of the ninth, trailing 5-2, bases loaded. The crack of the bat had resonated down in his bones, and he'd watched the ball arc high into the blinding sunlight, the far-off roar of the crowd in his ears.

Eren flipped them so he could ride Levi, and they quickly found a rhythm that left them both panting, cursing, begging. Alone in the apartment, surrounded by the hum of rain and thunder as loud as Levi’s heartbeat beneath his palms, Eren gave in and gave way until all that was left was the rush.

He was free falling.

He was going, going, gone.

* * *

Morning sunlight peeked through the gap between the drapes, cutting a bright beam across Eren’s face. With a groan, he rolled over and tugged the blankets up under his chin. It felt early enough still that he might have drifted back to sleep if not for the warm legs he bumped into when he extended his own. Cracking one eye, Eren admired the view.

Levi was curled up on his side, one arm tucked beneath the pillow, his other hand mere inches from Eren’s chest. The blankets were shoved down around his waist. Neither of them had bothered with shirts after cleaning up the night before, which meant Eren got an unimpeded chance to study the dips and swells of his muscles, the way the sunlight played across the peaceful lines of his face. Not a bad sight to wake up to.

“What?” Levi suddenly asked without opening his eyes.

Eren smiled softly to himself. Of course Levi would be a light sleeper. “Nothing.” Reaching out, he flicked a lock of hair. “You’ve got some cute bedhead going on.”

Levi abandoned the façade, and his nose wrinkled as he looked pointedly to Eren’s hair. “Speak for yourself. You look like a porcupine.”

“A cute porcupine,” Eren corrected. Ignoring Levi’s snort, he scooted closer. “So… do you have any plans for the day?” It was his Saturday off, and he could think of nothing better than to spend the day with Levi.

“I was going to deep clean the kitchen and bathroom. Maybe scrub the baseboards if I have time.”

“Sounds exhilarating,” Eren said, fighting to keep a straight face. He’d picked up on Levi’s somewhat intense cleaning habits over the past few months, but surely he could take a break. The apartment was virtually spotless. Levi even kept a squeegee in the shower to wipe down the door after each use. “Think you could postpone your cleaning regimen for one day?”

Rolling onto his back, Levi issued a small grunt as he stretched and crossed his arms beneath his head. “I don’t compromise on cleaning day.”

“Not even for a date?”

“ _Especially_ not for a date.”

“There's really no use in playing hard to get when you've already been got.” Eren waggled his brows. “Come on… an official date seems like a good step after last night.”

“Teaching you how to make tea was a date.”

“If I remember correctly, you said maybe.”

“And you said you’d take that as a yes.”

“Well, I lied. That was just you enjoying yourself. And yes, you did have fun, don’t try to deny it!” Eren rushed to say when Levi opened his mouth. “Anyway, if we were on a date you’d know. I’d be putting the moves on you.”

Levi gave him a dubious look. “Moves?”

“Yeah, I’ve been going easy so far.”

Shaking his head, Levi threw off the covers and turned to sit on the edge of the bed. “I’d hate to see what your moves are when you’re really trying.”

“Embarrassing is what they are. Like holding a boom box outside your window late at night or writing cheesy pick-up lines on your to-go cups level of embarrassing,” Eren said. “But it works.”

“That shit does _not_ work,” Levi refuted.

“Sure it does. You just have to play it right.” Eren scooted up behind Levi, legs on either side of him, arms looped loosely around his waist, chin propped on his shoulder. When Levi tilted his head back ever so slightly, Eren kissed the sensitive spot he’d discovered the night before. The soft sigh he issued had Eren’s cock twitching. “For instance,” Eren said as he stretched forward to first bite at Levi’s ear, then whisper into it. “I can already feel something brewing between us.”

It took a minute for the meaning to sink in. When it did, Levi jerked as if he’d been shocked and groaned. “You’re such an idiot.”

“I just can’t help it, not when you grind so fine,” Eren continued, moving to nose the back of Levi’s neck.

“Oh my god, stop.”

“But I’m soy into you.”

“If you don’t cut it out, I’m going to—”

Laughing, Eren cut Levi off by pulling him backwards onto the bed. They grappled together, making a tangled mess of the sheets and blankets in something that wavered between wrestling and foreplay, but Eren eventually managed to pin Levi down and straddle him. Or maybe Levi let him win. Either way, the position didn’t do much to ease the boner he’d developed.

“You’re going to what? Leave?” Eren asked. He braced his hands on either side of Levi’s head and rocked his hips forward. “But things are just getting steamy.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Levi closed his eyes as if the pun caused him physical pain, but the easy set of his mouth and the way he was squirming, seeking more friction, contradicted his tone. “I was going to say I’d kick your ass, but I don’t think even that would shut you up.”

Eren leaned in to press a kiss to the hollow of Levi’s throat, then licked a long line across his collarbones. “You know what would?”

“Agreeing to go on a date with you,” Levi supplied.

“Exactly! And as a reward for guessing correctly, I’ll even pay for dinner and the movie.”

“Wow, how could I possibly turn down such a romantic offer?”

Eren grinned into Levi’s neck. The reluctance was all a show, and they both knew it. “Told you, my moves work every time.”

“Yes, that was most definitely it. You’re just so damn irresistible,” Levi deadpanned, but it wasn’t long after he was pushing himself up so Eren was more or less sitting in his lap, one of his hands drifting up and down Eren’s back.

“Come on a date with me,” Eren whispered into the infinitesimal space between their lips, resting his forehead against Levi’s. “Please. I'll help you clean tomorrow to make up for what you’re missing out on today.”

“I don’t know if that’s better or worse. I’ve seen the way you clean.” There was no point arguing against that. He’d gotten better over the years, but he was nowhere near Levi’s standards. Even still, Levi huffed a laugh and brushed the back of his knuckles along Eren’s cheekbone. “You know, it’s a good thing you’re cute.”

Eren’s heart did a little flip-flop in his chest, but he managed a cheeky smirk. “Is that a yes?”

“You're threatening me with puns. I don't think I have much of a choice,” Levi quipped. Pulling away, he laid back on the bed and bucked his hips. “But first things first…”

Eren bit back a groan at the feeling of Levi’s erection against his own and enthusiastically followed him down. He might not have been entirely truthful before. There were plenty of other ways to get him to shut up, and now seemed as good a time as any to show Levi just how well he could be quiet when he had something else keeping his mouth occupied. The restaurants and theaters would be there when they were finished. They had all day.


End file.
